How do I get started on my family history?
Answer
To start working on your family history, begin with the information you know and work back through the generations. Start with documents you have. Your birth certificate may include information about your parents, your parents’ marriage record may also have information about their parents, and so on. Talk to your relatives and find out what names, dates and stories they may know.
It can be important to know when, how and by which agency records were kept through time. Visit our vital records research guide to learn more about birth and death records in Ohio.
Many records in Ohio were kept at the county level. You may also wish to contact the genealogical societies of the counties where the family lived. Many county chapters of the Ohio Genealogical Society publish indexes to local records, document area cemeteries and provide local research assistance for a nominal fee.
Your public library is a good place to look for Genealogy how-to books and guides to popular family history topics. They may also have a local history section. Your public library may also provide access to online genealogy resources such as Ancestry.com and Fold3. Find an Ohio public library near you.
See Beginning Genealogy Research at the Archives & Library for more information.